Canadian man pepper sprayed when he asked the US border guard to say please »
Posted By FunnyBoyz 8 months, 1 week ago in NewsVANCOUVER — A British Columbian man has learned the hard way that you don't ask a U.S. border guard to be polite when he asks you to turn off your vehicle's engine.
Read Full Story at theglobeandmail.com »
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Submitted By:
FunnyBoyz
Never let a FOOL KISS YOU or a KISS FOOL YOU.
Give it some time and think about it..
I want to be clear upfront ...
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FunnyBoyz8 months, 1 week ago
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This is not acceptable. I was amazed how the officers said " he is not muslim he is one of us" Unacceptable, USA needs to first teach their officers how to respect every race and everyone. For love of god what is wrong to be muslim.
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crghss8 months, 1 week ago
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Mr. Fortunato started the Muslim thing not the agents. Trying to justify his actions. He didn't comply and he was dealt with. What I expect my border security to do.
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He's had this problem before. Hopeful he learn this time. My guess is he won't. -
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Mdiar8 months, 1 week ago
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For factual accuracy I'm compelled to point out they never actually said that.
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“Their shields dropped slightly down. It was like you know: OK he's a Westerner, OK he's not a Muslim, OK he's a Christian, he's one of us. That's what I read [from them].”
He read it in their body language. It may or may not have been there.
On another note, this is reprehensible. A person can be polite and firm. -
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altnrg8 months, 1 week ago
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StevieGee8 months, 1 week ago
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My GF has metal pins in her back. Every time we go anywhere flying she get's practically strip searched. It's degrading and humiliating for her. One time later we realized that she had a box cutter in her purse so it doesn't do any good.
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CORVIDIVS8 months, 1 week ago
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A study a few years back delineated enforcement professionals as being two thirds prone to violence in the home. This study may only have applied to the U.S., but go figure. Some of the types drawn to the career were never enforcement material except for being analogous to centurions of old; paladins doing the royalty's bidding without a passing glance at being humane...
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CORVIDIVS8 months, 1 week ago
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I think recent history has exacerbated the situation at the borders. The new, less glibly surmised possibility of terrorism... and perhaps the embarrassment of having let it slip by in the first place, have gelled some of the border guards' latent paranoia into an aggression we never saw years hence. Look at our proud RCMP in Canada tasering a man to death because he wielded a stapler. Something is very rotten in Denmark indeed when this sort of thing is not only happening, but being sanctioned with all the correct yes words and old boy pats that exclude outsiders to point of causing dismay and fear amongst those they are pledged to serve and protect.
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Certainly an enforcement professional goes into harm's way at least nominally on a daily basis,but some enhancement is really needed, not career saving rhetoric.
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lovemorgulComment removed: Spammer, Hard Banned
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canadianrancher578 months, 1 week ago
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I don't travel back and forth across the border much but I have never encountered much of a problem at the smaller ports of entry. Maybe one of the reasons for this attack could have been attitude, the men and women at the crossings do have a job to do and if anything happens they will be the ones that catch hell. The border guards are not God but are people with some authority and maybe should be treated with some respect.
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My comment is based on the fact that we only have one side of the story. -
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canadianrancher578 months, 1 week ago
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After reading many of the above comments for a second time and also rereading the article I don't think that the Muslim issue was ever mentioned by the guards but Mr. Fortunato's opinion was that the guards treated him with less hostility after finding out he was of Portuguese Origin. You people can jump on me if you what to but I feel that Mr. Fortunato has some issues in regards to Religion and ethnic origin, since it was him that made those comments.
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pokydoke8 months, 1 week ago
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I've traveled quite a bit and found that in my experience the Saudi Customs agents are the worst followed by the US. I was driving across borders between Switzerland and France and there wasn't any guards at the French border at all, no one even in sight.
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steve1148 months, 1 week ago
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He was asked to step out, then after he asked them to 'say please', he is then told to either step out of his car or be sprayed. I do not see why this gentleman has a problem with the US officials. They are doing a job, and if he feels that the US has let him down by not being as polite as they could have been, let this man know that there are certain words or phrases that could trigger a sudden attack on patrolmen. The word 'please' could have been one of them. This man needed to be dealt with in accordance with the United States officers.
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steve1148 months, 1 week ago
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The United States officers were doing their job - The gentleman asked them a question, and the patrolmen asked him to either step out of his vehicle or be sprayed. I don't see what the problem is. Let this person know that there are certain words or phrases that may prompt an attack, and 'please' could have been one of them. The United States law is working as efficient as I would hope it would be.
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SFCGuyW8 months, 1 week ago
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No police officer (and Border Patrol/Customs agents are Federal police) should ever take offense to anyone asking him/her to be polite and not heavy handed when the situation does not call for heavy handed use.
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When the Border agent approaches the car at the border and asks the driver to shut off the engine there is no reason (unless a red flag has been raised on the car or occupant) for the agent not to be polite and respectful of the other individual. It is the same courtesy the officer expects to be given to himself. Besides, he does not know who he might be approaching - such as maybe the head of the Federal police of Canada or a Canadian politician or high powered representative of the Canadian government off on a family vacation to the USA. The Border Patrol officer's career could be destroyed by being rude to the wrong person, let alone pepper spraying the wrong person. That, plus the US Federal government could be forced to appologize to the Canadian government. -
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Sageparadox8 months, 1 week ago
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Hey, if we dont start putting these 54 year Portuguise men from British Columbia in their place, who know what kind shenanigans they are going to get away with.
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Come on now. Aint like this is some young punk or something. This is a elder who just wanted some common decencey. Shows what Americans think of their elderly. -
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GDCMDC8 months, 1 week ago
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The border guard was OUTA LINE... used force, where there was NO cause to. Its a typical ' over-reaction' and acted like a Nazis in training. The man posed NO danger, as per report.
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As the U.S. changes for the worst, U can expect this New Misadminstration to change the spelling of America too... to
AMERIKA, with a K. Their plans for the citizens of the 50states, smacks of facism and loss of citizens Rights, under
the ' Color of Law'. -
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fsev418 months, 1 week ago
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Once again I reiterate, why must you all jump to conclusions about the Customs agent without knowing both sides of the story. This article gives only the alleged victim's side of the incident. You know nothing about the officer involved. What led him to tell the "victim" to turn his vehicle off. Did he tell him more than once? Was his "request" for the officer to say please done in a provocative manner? The agent was in a position of authority giving an order, not asking for a favor. Does the Customs agent have a history of difficulties with people or does he have an excellent record. You people are much too fast to jump to conclusions. The few alleged facts given here do not warrant any judgment of who was right or wrong.
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